Munro-Leighton reportedly admitted in a phone conversation with the committee that she lied about being the author of an anonymous accusation letter against Kavanaugh. The letter, sent when Kavanaugh was a nominee, was actually penned by Christine Blasey Ford, who later gave congressional testimony about her allegations.

Grassley’s message said Munro-Leighton also admitted she has never met Kavanaugh; “just wanted to get attention;” and that her assault claim “was just a ploy.” Kavanaugh has denied all accusations.

On Saturday, President Trump tweeted about Munro-Leighton’s decision to recant:

A vicious accuser of Justice Kavanaugh has just admitted that she was lying, her story was totally made up, or FAKE! Can you imagine if he didn’t become a Justice of the Supreme Court because of her disgusting False Statements. What about the others? Where are the Dems on this?

Trump’s tweet, which never mentions Munro-Leighton’s name, suggests her deception had a far more significant impact on Kavanaugh’s nomination than it did. Unlike allegations from Ford, Deborah Ramirez, and Julie Swetnick, her claims were not publicized during the nomination process. Bonnie Kristian